A N F Keys
1 Flowers 2 at node (typically 1 per axil), appearing like a leafy raceme
2 Shrubs 100−200 cm tall; foliage velveteen with long, branched hairs (dendritic) and somewhat sticky from sessile glandular hairs; flowers 10+ mm diameter, on slender pedicels 11−35 mm long; calyx 5-lobed, lobes subequal, 10−18 mm long, with dendritic hairs; corolla 5-lobed, 20−35 mm, very pale lavender (white), lower lobe liplike .. Lepechinia fragrans [pics]
2' Herbs, decumbent to prostrate, rooting at lower nodes; calyx 4−5.5 mm long; corolla 2-lipped
3 Blades hirsute to short-hirsute and conspicuously gland-dotted with glandular hairs, slightly aromatic like peppermint (Mentha); pedicels 6−10 mm long; calyx 5-lobed; corolla 6−11 mm long, white to pale lavender-pink .. Clinopodium douglasii [pics]
3' Blades sparsely hairy and not gland-dotted (essentially lacking glandular hairs), not aromatic; pedicels 1.5−4 mm long; calyx short 2-lipped, conspicuously pilose, lips rounded; corolla 13−21 mm long, violet-blue .. Scutellaria tuberosa [pics]
1' Flowers more than 2 at each node (mostly 2+ per axil)
4 Flowers in loose axillary cymes, each cyme with 4−12 flowers on flexible pedicels; corolla deep blue-violet; long filaments 17.5−22 mm long; annual with shoots strongly aromatic like vinegar (propionic acid) .. Trichostema lanceolatum [pics]
4' Flowers appearing whorled at node and mostly in dense clusters = condensed axillary cymes paired at node and often subtended by conspicuous bracts (verticils)
5 Calyx with 10 hooked, spinescent teeth; corolla 6−8 mm long, white .. Marrubium vulgare [pics]
5' Calyx 5-lobed; corolla > 8 mm long
6 Shrubs with linear, strongly inrolled leaves, leaves often tufted at nodes on unexpanded axillary shoots; corolla blue-violet to rose-violet (white) aging deep violet, tomentose to woolly; stamens 25−32(−40) mm long and exserted .. Trichostema lanatum [pics]
6' Corolla not tomentose to woolly; stamens < 12 mm long
7 Filaments 2 .. Salvia
7' Filaments 4, typically with the lower stamen pair shorter than the upper pair
8 Corolla strongly 2-lipped
9 Perennial herbs with petiolate leaves, strongly aromatic with glandular hairs and conspicuous long hairs; calyx teeth spine-tipped; corolla in bud lacking purple hairs; nutlets rounded at top .. Stachys
9' Annuals with petiolate leaves fused across node (amplexicaulous), not aromatic and puberulent (short-strigose) to glabrate; calyx teeth not spine-tipped; corolla with purple hairs; nutlets truncate .. Lamium amplexicaule [pics]
8' Corolla weakly 2-lipped or somewhat radially symmetric with lobes
10 Flowers aggregated into a terminal headlike cluster on stem .. Monardella
10' Flowers either in well-defined verticils subtended by leaves or verticils congested to form a terminal spike .. Mentha
1 Leaves and leaflike bracts villous to short-villous (tomentose); dense, axillary flower clusters at nodes (verticils)
2 Leaflike bracts subtending verticil only slightly longer than flowers, sessile, blades essentially entire, often reflexed .. Mentha pulegium [pics]
2' Leaflike bracts subtending verticil several times longer than flowers, petiolate, blades low-serrate, typically spreading .. Mentha canadensis
1' Leaves and bracts mostly lacking nonglandular hairs; dense flower clusters mostly appearing like terminal spikes and not leafy
3 Pedicel 1.5−2.5 mm long; calyx 3.5−4.5 mm long; corolla 5−6 mm long .. Mentha × piperita [pics]
3' Pedicel ± 1 mm long; calyx 1.5−2 mm long; corolla 3−3.5 mm long .. Mentha spicata [pics]
1 Woody perennials, many-stemmed at base; shoots tomentose to woolly tomentose, white-hairy on lower surface of blades; headlike cymes terminal on canopy shoots; flowers ca. 12 mm across; lower lip of corolla 6−7.5 mm long, light lavender .. Monardella hypoleuca subsp. hypoleuca [pics]
1' Annuals, 1−3-stemmed at base; shoots densely short-strigose to canescent or puberulent; headlike cymes several in dichasial array; flowers 3−4 mm across; lower lip of corolla 4.3−5.5 mm long, violet with red-purple spots .. Monardella breweri subsp. lanceolata
1 Shrubs
2 Foliage mostly below 50 cm tall, with erect inflorescences 15−150 cm long; blades ovate to widely lanceolate, grayish and densely short-tomentose and with glandular hairs producing a strongly aromatic but fetid odor; inflorescence a paniclelike array with cymes paired at each node, each cyme to 6-flowered and verticils not developed; corolla with diminutive upper lip ca. 1 × 2 mm, corolla white to pale violet .. Salvia apiana [pics]
2' Foliage throughout the branched canopy, inflorescences typically < 20 cm long; blades narrowly elliptic to oblong or lanceolate, strongly aromatic but not fetid; inflorescence with well-defined verticils; corolla clearly 2-lipped, moderate or light purple to pale lavender (nearly white)
3 Blades 14−30 mm wide, gray-green to ashy gray, densely puberulent having highly branched hairs (dendritic) and sparser, short glandular hairs; calyx 1-lipped .. Salvia leucophylla [pics]
3' Blades 9.5−18 mm wide, green, appressed-canescent with scattered, short glandular hairs; calyx 2-lipped .. Salvia mellifera [pics]
1' Herbaceous plants with erect inflorescence having well-defined verticils
4 Annuals, 3−85 cm tall; leaves 1−2-pinnately dissected (compound), mostly basal; verticils 8−20 mm across; corolla spreading, < 15 mm long, strong blue-violet .. Salvia columbariae [pics]
4' Evergreen perennial herbs, forming clonal colonies; axes conspicuously glandular-pubescent; leaves simple, basal and cauline, crenate on margins and with winged petiole; verticils 35+ mm across; corolla ascending, 15−35 mm long, crimson (salmon) .. Salvia spathacea [pics]
1 Stems and lower surfaces of blades whitish and densely woolly to tomentose; verticils with 6−14 flowers; calyx 6.5−8.5 mm long; corolla 10−13 mm long, white but lower lip with 3 reddish purple lines, lower lip 4−5 mm long .. Stachys albens [pics]
1' Stems and lower surfaces of blades pilose to villous + having hispid hairs along stem edges and blade veins; verticils with 4−8 flowers; corolla throat reddish purple to light purple or lavender and white to pinkish lower lip with dark spots and bands, lower lip 6.5−8.5 mm long
2 Blades crenate; calyx 5−6 mm long; corolla 18−20 mm long; corolla tube + throat 7−10 mm long and exserted several mm from calyx, gradually tapered and throat not saclike .. Stachys bullata [pics]
2' Blades regularly serrate; calyx 6−7 mm long; corolla 14−17 mm long; tube + throat 6−7.5 mm long and not exserted much from calyx, with dimple defining throat with saclike base .. Stachys rigida var. quercetorum [pics]
1 Shrubs 100−250 cm tall; blades linear with inrolled margins (revolute); inflorescences covered with thick, shaggy, purplish wool .. Trichostema lanatum [pics]
1' Annuals < 100 cm tall; blades generally elliptic to lanceolate, margins not inrolled; inflorescences with shorter, single, colorless hairs .. Trichostema lanceolatum [pics]
The text of the above keys used with permission from
A Naturalist's Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills, California
© Copyright
Barry A. Prigge and Arthur C. Gibson
2013